CHERRY TWP — A house was saved after a neighbor — who happens to be a firefighter — sprang into action to put out a fire.

“We had a good save on that one,” said Chief Reid Campbell of the West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department.

The fire was reported at 9 p.m. at a house at 376 Red Brush Road.

Campbell said that the electricity went out in the area where the house was about 5 p.m. Eric and Katrina Smochek, the family that occupies the house, left shortly after that to visit relatives.

When they returned about 9 p.m., the kitchen was on fire.

The chief said the family apparently was heating some food on their electric stove at the time of the outage. With the power out, they forgot the stove still was on when they left.

When the power was restored, the food overheated and caught fire.

A neighbor who lives about one mile away from the house, West Sunbury firefighter Lt. Chris Traggiai, responded first and was able to put most of the fire out with his personal fire extinguisher. Another neighbor used an extinguisher to put most of the rest of it out before more firefighters arrived.

“When we got there, we had a lot of smoke and a little fire,” Campbell said.

No people were hurt, but Campbell said the family’s German shepherd puppy died of smoke inhalation.

Campbell said the house sustained about $20,000 damage, mainly in the kitchen area. Campbell said the occupants, who were not identified, are staying with family for now.

West Sunbury firefighters were assisted by firefighters from Marion Township, Slippery Rock, Harrisville and North Washington, as well as the Butler Ambulance Service.